This ancient fortified town, together with neighbouring Castelvecchio (99 m) is clearly visible on a small ridge to the north of the Lower Cesano Valley, some 12 km from the coastal town of Marotta.
The original Castrum Montis Podii belonged to the abbey of San Lorenzo in Campo. In 1428, it was given by its abbot, Ugone, who was a member of the family of the counts of Montevecchio, to Count Guido di Mirabello, Carlo Malatesta's lieutenant. After Count Guido's death, Monte Porzio passed to Count Piero of Montevecchio and to his descendants, who continued to rule after Federico da Montefeltro had defeated Sigismondo Malatesta on the plain of Marotta in 1462. It subsequently became part of the lands of the Duchy of Urbino, whose history it followed until it became part of the Papal States in 1631. The original Palazzo Comunale (or town hall, now a library) stands in the small piazza in the upper part of the town, with its fine clock tower topped by the town bell. Next to it is the 18^th Century chapel of Santa Maria Assunta, which was the public chapel of the Counts of Montevecchio. The two palazzi on each of the longer sides of the piazza were built as residences for the Counts of Montevecchio, now Palazzo Terni and Palazzo Chiocci-Ginevri. Next to them is Palazzo Flaiani-Palestini. The town's original parish church of San Michele Arcangelo was modified and enlarged in 1899.
The nearby village of Castelvecchio is also worth a visit. Here, in addition to the parish church of Sant' Antonio, we find an austere castle built by the Della Rovere family with moat, corbelled battlements and polygonal towers on its four corners. The Roman Barbarini princes acquired it from Vittoria Della Rovere in 1649 to make it into the focal point of their estate.